Butterfly Kisses
by Akizakura202
Summary: For years Akahana has had a crush on Naruto but has never had the courage to reveal her feelings. She gets her chance as they learn the Summoning Technique and Jiraiya proposes a new part of training: hug your crush. Will she follow her sensei's orders? NaruXOC fluff, first ever fan fic.


**Author's Note:** Hey. This is the first one-shot I have ever written and it's also the first story of mine to be posted on The pairing is NarutoXOC. As is another story of mine that I may or may not post here but it is SasukeXOC. If I do post it, though, I have get rid of my html codes on it.

Sorry. Kind of rambled. That's a _very_ bad habit of mine.

I hope you enjoy!

Butterfly Kisses

* * *

The butterfly flies

Escaping what others may suffer by.

Dancing from flower to flower,

For many a hour.

* * *

"NOO!! HECK NO!! Sorry– wrong number – I won‛t go hug the person I like!" 

"It‛s part of your training!"

"Wether it‛s part of my training, or not, I – WON‛T– DO – IT!" Chi Akahana (Blood red flower) was putting her foot down. As a blonde, pupiless, green-eyed kunoichi of twelve, she wasn‛t what many would call normal. Who would when living vines sprouted from her skin and grew along veins of her arms, legs, and abdomen? Especially since she had live flowers that bloomed from these vines around her neck and wrists, and change color and liveliness according to her mood. She also knew her feelings for Uzumaki Naruto were unrequited.

Besides the vines, she was actually a pretty girl. The bangs of her hair framed her face and reached down to her collar bone. The rest of her hair was held in two low buns covered by blue cloth as some excess hair stuck out; the bangs and back were separated by the leaf hitaiate (headband). The fishnet shirt she wore had sleeves that reached her elbow and was mostly covered by a brown top with sort sleeves and almost bared her shoulders. The shorts she wore were khaki and reached mid-thigh. Along with all that, she wore a black-colored version of the traditional ninja sandals.

Since the ending of preliminaries for the third part of the Chuunin exams, Akahana and Naruto had been training under one of the legendary sennin: Jiraiya, otherwise known as the Frog hermit or Toad sage, but Akahana and Naruto just called him Ero-sennin (Perverted hermit). They both were having trouble learning Kuchiyose no Jutsu, or the Summoning Technique. No matter how hard they tried, Naruto kept summoning tadpoles and Akahana was having little more success. In light of this, Jiraiya proposed a new training program; hugging the person they liked seemed to be part of it. Naruto was sent on his "training exercise" only moments before.

"Hey! Do you want to learn Kuchiyose no Jutsu or not?"

Reluctantly, and with a sour expression on her face, Akahana nodded; she wanted so badly to learn this jutsu. "But I‛ll be so nervous and fearful, that thorns will grow and I‛ll end up stabbing him!" Yeah, like a porcupine, when Akahana gets scared, thorns (depending on the fear) would start to emerge from her body. Rosethorns for nervousness and cactus-like thorns when she was paranoid or if her life was in mortal peril.

"Not my problem . . ."Jiraiya sighed. "Look, maybe you‛re having so much trouble learning this technique because of fear; you need to conquer it. You can start with fear of rejection and remember, emotions are never to get in a shinobi‛s way." ‛You two may not even live for any problems to arise, anyway.‛ Jiraiya kept this part to himself and let his words sink into a now solemn Akahana. "Now go."

"O-okay!" Akahana jogged into the direction she had just seen Naruto take to find his crush. Little rosethorns began dotting themselves along her arms like goose bumps as her nervousness grew. ‛I can‛t believe Ero-sennin convinced me to do this.‛ She had harbored her little crush since the day she and Naruto officially met five years ago. A smile formed itself across her whiskered cheeks as her pace slowed to a walk and she remembered.

* * *

If I was a butterfly,

I would fly high

With emerald wings

Flying for anything.

* * *

As mentioned, it happened five years earlier in a meadow of sunflowers, daisies, tulips, and many other flowers. Seven-year-old Akahana laid upon a bed of multi-colored daisies. At this age, her hair was held in two tiny braids as the sides of her bangs only reached a little ways past her eyes. As she was only a ninja academy student and not a genin yet, the headband was absent from her head. Sleeping, her legs were slightly spread apart and her left arm stuck out to the side. Her right hand laid across her stomach as it rose and fell with slow, steady breathes. A monarch butterfly landed on her nose. Slowly, her eyes opened and she blinked sleep from her eyes. As her vision clears, the butterfly flies away, and the fuzzy outline of a boy comes into focus. The boy being only a few inches away, they exchanged a few blinks before Akahana was startled into a sitting position with a yelp. 

The boy was the same age as Akahana, and had blonde, spiky hair and blue eyes. It was Uzumaki Naruto in a white T-shirt with a red cloud and black capris. Not to mention the traditional ninja sandals.

"Naruto-san?"

The boy grinned and said, "That‛s my name, believe it!" His expression changed to that of a questioning one. "Who are you?"

Shyly, and a little hurt that he didn‛t remember who she was, Akahana replied. "My name‛s Chi Akahana, I‛m in your academy class remember? You‛re the one that gets in trouble with Iruka-sensei a lot, right?"

Naruto closed his eyes and frowned a little. He was trying to remember. Having an epiphany, he opened his eyes and smiled. "Oh yeah! You‛re that girl everyone teases and calls porcupine girl!"

A sweat drop forming on her head, she slowly nodded in response. She hated being remembered for such things; she‛d rather be forgotten. She was very vulnerable to teasing at this time in her life.

Naruto plopped down next to Akahana and said, "I think I‛ll call you Aka-chan!" There was a period of comfortable silence before they both laid down into the grass, using their arms as pillows as they cloud-watched.

"Naruto-san?"

"Yeah?"

"What brought you to the meadow, anyway? I don‛t think I‛ve ever seen you here before." It was true. The only academy student Akahana had really seen there was Nara Shikamaru, and she never attempted conversation. She actually kind of liked having company besides butterflies.

Naruto shrugged. "No reason . . . Aka-chan? Just wondering, why are their vines growing from your body?"

Akahana‛s gaze became distant . "I . . . Really don‛t know . . . " She answered in almost a whisper. She had asked the same question to her parents many times, but they had always said ‛Wait until your older, okay?‛

"I asked my parents a lot, but . . . "Her eyes began to water. "sniff They died before I could get a answer." It was a little while after that incident that she discovered the truth, but she wouldn‛t dare tell Naruto.

It turned out that, sealed inside of her, was the tenth bijju, or tailed demon. Akahana was a jinchuuriki (the term used to describe the holder of a bijuu). The day she was born in the village hidden in the rocks, a ten-tailed demon with amazing control over the earth‛s elements attacked. It was sealed inside of her and her parents fled to Konohagakure, in hopes that despite the vines growing from her, she could lead a life of acceptance.

"Hey, don‛t cry, Aka-chan, I didn‛t even know my parents." Naruto sat up as Akahana did. She began to cry onto his shoulder. He remained silent and let her cry herself out as he had done so many times. "It‛s all right, Aka-chan . . . you‛re not alone."

Akahana sniffed and gazed into Naruto‛s cerulean blue eyes as a butterfly came to land between his eyes. They were close enough that the butterfly‛s wings brushed against Akahana‛s cheek. "Don‛t you think butterflies are pretty?" Akahana asked as she wiped away one last tear and watched the butterfly fly away.

"I guess . . ." Naruto replied, not really interested in the new topic of conversation.

"Sometimes, I wish I was a butterfly. That way, I could fly free like them, ya know? No one teases a butterfly, and if they do, a butterfly could just fly and escape it." She turned her gaze to Naruto. "What about you?"

* * *

I wish I was a butterfly

So I could fly towards the azure sky.

No more worries,

No more troubles.

* * *

He nodded, knowing perfectly well how it felt to wish for escape, and how many times he‛s wished to disappear from the cold stares of the other villagers. He wanted to be accepted, too. 

Night began to blanket Konoha in thin sheets as the sun was setting behind the horizon. Akahana and Naruto were still laying in the meadow, talking of themselves and their classmates, side-by-side, and becoming fast friends. When the first couple of stars dotted themselves across the sky, Akahana sat up and said, "Well, Naruto-san, I have to get home and do some stuff before bed, um . . . I-it was nice meeting you."

Naruto sat up as well, "Me too. Which way is your house?" Akahana pointed.

"Me too!" It was a lie, but he didn‛t want Akahana to leave so soon. He‛ll walk her home and they‛ll see each other tomorrow.

The walk, however, was a short one and soon enough, they were in front of Akahana‛s house. Naruto looked at Akahana‛s retreating figure with furrowed brows. Then, Akahana suddenly stopped and turned until she saw Naruto. "I almost forgot!" She jogged across the lawn and blinked a few times, brushing her eyelashes against his cheek. He gave her a questioning look as some pink accented his cheeks. "Butterfly kisses." she replied sweetly as little pink buds sprouted around her neck and she smiled.

* * *

Butterfly kisses with lashes as wings

So simple an act,

My heart longed for something.

* * *

Now look at her. Five years later. Five years of harboring this crush and giving butterfly kisses. Now, if only she could come up with a way to hug Naruto without the thorns hurting him. She‛d tried many times to suppress them with no luck . . . 

"Okay, Naruto. What do you want? If it‛s money, I‛m not giving you any."

"No, it‛s not that, Sakura-chan ."

Akahana stopped at the corner of a wooden fence and peeked around the corner. Naruto was talking to a slightly annoyed member of team seven. ‛I don‛t think I‛ve ever seen Naruto so nervous . . . And Sakura looks a little pissy today . . .‛

Haruno Sakura, the brains of team seven and one of the many Sasuke fangirls of Konoha. She was a pretty girl of twelve, but not overly beautiful. With pink hair that reached mid-neck and parted to either side for her bangs, her giant forehead was hardly noticeable.. The two parts were separated by her own leaf hitaiate. Her eyes were a luminous pale green against her creamy skin. Her outfit consisted of a sleeveless red dress with slits that ran up the side and reached her hips. The shorts she wore underneath were a dark blue that matched her ninja sandals.

As Akahana was Naruto‛s best friend, she knew very well Naruto‛s feelings for Sakura, but didn‛t hold a grudge. As a kid, Sakura had also faced a lot of teasing for her giant forehead. Now, however, a tinge of "green with envy" accented a few flowers on Akahana‛s necklace.

"Just spit it out, already!"

‛Oh no . . . danger zone, Sakura‛s really getting pissed . . .‛ All Naruto could do was stutter as Akahana peered around the corner.

"That‛s it, I‛m leaving." Sakura began to walk off and Naruto grabbed her shoulder, trying to turn her back around.

"Sakura, wait!" Opposing forces slowed down time as Sakura was pulled back by Naruto and about to fall into his arms. ‛Now‛s my chance!‛

Sakura saw through Naruto‛s actions and her eyes became an angry white as she punched him, hard. It was enough to send him back onto his butt and start a nosebleed.

"What a punch, I almost feel sorry for the boy," said a voice from behind Akahana. Startled, she looked to see Jiraiya. "And what are you still doing here? Go! Now‛s _your_ chance." He pushed Akahana out in the open as Sakura left, more pissed than ever, and Naruto was recovering.

* * *

It‛s time to give up my emerald wings

Come down to earth

And see what life brings,

Take my head from the clouds.

* * *

Akahana rushed over to Naruto, her heartbeat fast and fluttery and rosethorns dotting themselves upon her. She kneeled down next to him and asked, "Are you okay, Naruto-kun? Sakura hit you harder than usual this time." 

"Yeah, I‛m all right. Ow!" He said as Akahana touched a bruise that was beginning to form on his left eyebrow. It must have happened when he hit the ground.

"It‛s best not to leave that unattended, hold on." Akahana rummaged through her kunai pack attached to the back of her shorts. Finding a little capsule with ointment, she removed the lid and said, "Hold still." Taking a modest amount onto her finger, she gently rubbed it onto his bruise. Her heart rate quickened at the thought of being close enough to Naruto to kiss. The bruise was gone in seconds. She smiled, "There. All better." Pulling away, she stood up from a crouch and extended a hand to help Naruto up. He took the hand and they started walking.

"By the way, have you finished your part of the training? Hugging your crush, I mean?"

Caught off guard, Akahana quickly tried to think of something to reply with. Struck with inspiration, she said in the calmest voice and smile she could muster, "Actually, Naruto-kun, I haven‛t and I don‛t think I will. See, for years I‛ve given him a few butterfly kisses and the occasional hug when he was sad, but right now, I‛d just end up accidentally murdering him with how long these thorns are getting. So, instead, I‛m going to give him the real thing."

"Really? Hey, who is this guy, anyway?" Naruto was very slow when it came to these things.

Akahana stopped and faced Naruto, stopping him as well. "You really want to know?"

"Yeah." He replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

She moved closer, as if to whisper in his ear, but instead, directed her lips to his and kissed him. The rosethorns disappeared and the flowers were a jubilant orange, a mix of yellow for happiness and pink for love. The latter accented both Naruto and Akahana‛s cheeks. Reluctantly, she released the kiss and awaited Naruto‛s reaction.

"Aka-chan, I . . ."

She put a finger to his lips. "Please . . . Just don‛t say anything. You can turn me down later, or some other time; just don‛t ruin this moment for me now. Let‛s go find Ero-sennin. . . race ya to the Hot Springs!"

Jiraiya had left his original place around the corner and instead had his spyglass out as he watched from afar. ‛It‛s about time . . .‛ Jiraiya paused in his thoughts as he watched Naruto and Akahana walk, probably on a search for him. Well . . . He wouldn‛t let them find him. Training could always continue tomorrow. Maybe he‛ll continue his research up here, at Kikyo Castle. He still had a decent view of the Hot Springs from here.

"That‛s strange . . . I thought for sure that he‛d be peeking into the woman‛s bath." Akahana said with a puzzled expression when she and Naruto reached Konoha‛s Hot Springs.

Naruto stayed quiet, Ero-sennin wasn‛t really important to him at the moment. He kept thinking of Akahana‛s lips and her apparent crush on him. Unfortunately, he couldn‛t return the feelings. But how can he tell her that without breaking her heart? Not only that, but things would be awkward around her from now on.

"Chi Akahana?" A deep voice asked.

At the sound of her name, Akahana turned to find that the voice belonged to a man with the dark hair and eyes of an Uchiha clan member, but he wasn‛t Sasuke. His hair was long enough to be held in a pony tail and there were bags under his emotionless eyes. His attire consisted of a large black cloak with red clouds and he seemed to have painted fingernails.

There was another man standing next to him, but this one resembled a fish. His skin was blue to match his hair and he wore the same cloak as the other. A large bandage sword was strapped to his back.

"Yeah, that‛s me. What occasion brings me the pleasure of conversing with two S-rank criminals? _Uchiha Itachi. Hoshigaki Kisame._" She knew she‛d recognized them, when her father was still alive, she had taken the liberty of looking through his bingo book. These two were among the first ones listed.

"You‛re coming with us." Kisame said.

"Nah, I think I‛ll stay here for awhile, maybe have a nice bath, Sharkman."

"It‛s not a voluntary option." Akahana seemed to have angered him with her "Sharkman" comment.

"That‛s just too bad . . ." Akahana had to think fast. There was no way she could beat these guys with her abilities. Not only did she barely pass graduation exams to become a genin, she had almost lost to her opponent in the Chunin exam preliminaries. Maybe she could outrun them if she was _very_ lucky and used her bond with the earth to set traps ,but where would that leave Naruto? She fully believed in his abilities and strength, but S-rank criminals such as these two would be too much, especially if he was by himself.

"Hey! You guys aren‛t taking Aka-chan anywhere!" Naruto stood in front of Akahana protectively.

"Naruto-kun! What are you doing!" Akahana asked in surprise.

"Protecting a person that‛s precious to me. I‛m not gonna stand here while they try and kidnap you, Aka-chan!"

"But – "

"There are no buts, Aka-chan!" A small silence followed.

‛He‛s protecting me. . . ‛ she thought gaily as her heart soared in her chest. ‛But if these guys get serious, he won‛t be able to do so for long and he might end up . . . gulp . . . killed.‛

"Out of the way, brat . . . We have no business with you as of now." claimed Itachi.

Akahana scowled at Itachi, unsure of what to do, when she said, "Do as he says, Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked at Akahana over his shoulder, bewildered. "Aka-chan – "

"Please . . . You are strong, Naruto-kun, but these guys are stronger. Think about it, Itachi is Sasuke‛s brother; the man who murdered nearly the whole Uchiha clan, and Kisame was a jonin of the Hidden Mist like Zabuza and was listed in the bingo book as an even greater opponent. I believe in your abilities, Naruto-kun, but I have also taken the enemies abilities into account. There is no other way."

"But, Aka-chan, don‛t just think I‛m gonna hand you over like this – "

"**NARUTO-KUN!!! JUST DO AS I SAY!!!**" Akahana cut him off with a yell. "I have no place in this world, anyway. I am not a butterfly that can escape when life gets tough and I can‛t go on like this any longer. If something happens to me as a result of being with these guys, I will be happy as long as you don‛t get hurt in the process."

"Aka-chan –" His voice was cut off when a heavy force hit the back of his head and he collapsed. The cause was Akahana.

"So . . . Where exactly are we going?" she asked when she looked their way. Kisame seemed to be a little bit confused by what had just happened, but Itachi activated his sharingan eye.

"That will be none of your concern. You will be asleep for the duration of the journey. . . sharingan!" Itachi used his hypnotic eye to make Akahana at first drowsy, and then fall into a deep sleep. He picked her up and placed her over his shoulder before he and Kisame started to escort her back to the Akatsuki hideout.

It was in that hideout that her bijuu was extracted from her body, resulting in her death. Her body was found outside the village gates a few weeks after the kidnaping. A funeral was held in which her fellow graduates, her teachers, the Fifth Hokage, and other shinobi she knew attended. But it was Naruto who was the first to visit her grave after.

"Aka-chan, why did you do it? Why did you have to go with those guys?" Naruto asked as he stood in front of Akahana‛s tombstone and a few tears welled up in his eyes. "Why didn‛t you let me protect you? I may not have returned your feelings, believe it, but you‛re still my best friend."

The spirit of Akahana sat upon the tombstone with sad eyes and no vines. ‛Naruto-kun, things just weren‛t ever that simple. You were the only one to truly accept me and I couldn‛t let you die protecting me because you have so much more to live for. I only wish that now, you could hear me say this . . . You should be training, not mourning over me so much.‛

She reached out with her ghostly pale hand in attempt to brush Naruto‛s cheek. "Aishiteruze (I love you), Naruto-kun . . . " she whispered.

Somehow, Naruto had heard and looked up to see Akahana‛s fading ghostly figure. "Aka-chan . . . "he whispered.

She smiled and said, "Become Hokage for me, okay, Naruto-kun?"

With determination, he nodded and watched as Akahana changed into a butterfly that flew towards the sky and could hear a whisper in the wind as that butterfly was joined by another, and another.

* * *

The butterfly flies

Escaping what others may suffer by.

And now that I‛m with you,

I can escape too.

End of Butterfly Kisses

* * *

**Author's Note: **I had a separate ending for this in which Itachi and Kisame didn't even show up and it ended happily with Naruto and Akahana holding hands. I realized that that didn't fit due to the "NaruSaku" moment. I prefer this ending much more. 

Please review! It is my first story and if it sucked, I would greatly like to know how I can improve.


End file.
